Change at the top

New CEOs take charge at several of the Virginia’s largest public companies

The top jobs at several of Virginia’s largest publicly traded companies have turned over in recent months.

New CEOs, for example, are taking charge at General Dynamics, Altria Group, SAIC, The Brink’s Co. and CACI International.

Perhaps the most notable change is taking place at Falls Church-based defense contractor General Dynamics. President and Chief Operating Officer Phebe Novakovic will succeed Chairman and CEO Jay Johnson on his retirement at the end of the year.

With her promotion, Novakovic will become the second woman heading a Virginia-based Fortune 500 company. The other is Gracia Martore, who succeeded Craig Dubow as CEO of McLean-based Gannett Co. in October.

Novakovic became president and COO in May after serving as executive vice president of the company’s marine systems group, which includes subsidiaries Bath Iron Works, Electric Boat and NASSCO.

At Richmond-based Altria, longtime Chairman and CEO Michael Szymanczyk retired in May after 23 years with the tobacco products company. Vice Chairman Martin J. Barrington succeeded Szymanczyk as chairman and CEO while David R. Beran, Altria’s former vice chairman for business operations, became Altria’s president and chief operating officer.
Barrington has worked for Altria since 1993. As vice chairman, he’s been in charge of innovation, public affairs, human resources, compliance and product responsibilities. He was also the company’s chief compliance officer.

Beran has worked for the company since 1976. His previous executive roles at the company include executive vice president and CFO for Altria; executive vice president and CFO for Philip Morris USA and executive vice president of finance, planning and information for Philip Morris USA.

At SAIC, John P. Jumper, a retired Air Force general, succeeded Walter P. Havenstein as CEO on March 1. Jumper, who joined SAIC’s board as director in 2007, was chief of staff of the Air Force for four years. Havenstein had led the McLean-based engineering, systems integration and technical services and solutions company since 2009. He announced his retirement in October.

At Richmond-based Brink’s, Thomas C. Schievelbein was named chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer in June after serving as interim president and chief executive officer since December. He succeeded former CEO Michael Dan, who retired on Dec. 23. Brink’s, perhaps best known for its armored trucks, is a major provider of secure transportation and cash management services. Schievelbein is the retired president of Northrop Grumman Newport News, a former subsidiary of the Northrop Grumman Corp., and has been a business consultant since November 2004.

At Arlington-based CACI International, a professional services and IT solutions company, Dan Allen became president and CEO on July 1. He succeeded Paul Cofoni, who became chief adviser to Jack London, the company’s executive chairman of the board. Cofoni will retire from the company on Dec. 1. He joined the company as president of U.S. operations in 2005 and was promoted to president and CEO in July 2007.

Allen had been president of the company’s U.S. operations. He joined the company as COO of U.S. operations in March 2011.

John Mengucci, the former chief operating officer of U.S. operations, become COO of CACI and president of U.S. operations on July 1.